Nasal filter



3 Patented July 7, 1936 NASAL FILTER Harrison J. Weaver,

Columbus; Ohio, assignor to The Nasal Filter 00., Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 7, 1935, Serial No. 48,708

- 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-148) Fig. 6 is an edge elevation of the guide plate This invention relates to nasal filters. and particularly to that type of nasal filtering device I which comprises a frame which is inserted and retained within the nostrils, the framehaving means for holding a pair of renewable filtering mats.

Due to the prevalence of certain infectious diseases such as hay fever caused by the inhalation of dust and pollen, devices of this type have .met with great interest, yet they have not heretofore become commercially successful mainly because the almost infinite variation in human nasal structures has made it impossible to construct a device which would fit more than one person, if

.the fitting had the necessary accuracy to meet the requirements of both comfort and appearance.

The sizes of the nostrils of difierent humans vary greatly. A considerable number of persons '20 are found having one nostril larger than the other. The lower outer edges of the nostrils are often considerably higher than the septum which separates them. In other cases the lower edges of the nostrils are on a line with the lower edge of the septum. In still other cases the lower edge of one nostril is somewhat more elevated with respect to the septum than the lower edge of the other nostril.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a nasal filter which will, when the parts composing it are made up in a limited number of sizes, be easily adjusted and fitted with slight skill and labor to meet one or more of the variations indicated, .to the end that accurate fitting of the device will permit it to beworn with perfect comfort and substantial invisibility.

This object/is attained in the structure hereinafter described and shown in the drawing. wherein,

Fig. 1 is an outline view of a sheet metal blank, two of which are to be bent, one right and one left, to provide the two elongated rings which fit into the nostrils.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view o f one of the nostril rings as formed from a blank, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an outline view of the sheet metal blank from which the U shaped yoke member which connects the two nostril rings is formed.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the yoke member after it is bent to shape, a small part being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a side, elevation of a guide plate one of which is to be attached to the inside of each nostril ring to receive the yoke member and to provide means for holding the grids.

shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken thru Fig. 8 is an outline view of a sheet 111 Fig. 5 at etal blank from which the lower grids are formed.

Fig. 9 is a crosssection thru a lower grid on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, but after the blank Fig. 8

has been bent.

Fig. 10 is an outline view of a blank from which the upper grids are formed.

Fig. 11 is an edge view of an upper grid as formed from a blank Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 shows the complete device elevation and partly in section as on the line l2l2 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 13 shows part bottom view and tlon as on the line l3'i3 of Fig. 12.

partly in part see- Fig. 14 is a plan view of one of the mats which are inserted in the nostril rings.

For clearness the drawing is made larger than the device itself;

20 to a scale The device herein shown is of the type comprising two metal rings fitting the lowe the nostril'openings, the rings being held in other by a bridge or yoke proper relation to each r edges of piece which connects one ring to the other, the yoke piece extending downwardly from one ring around the septum of the nose bottom openings of the rings for of mats of suitable felted filtering mate and back to the other ring. Grids extend across the top and retaining a pair rial. The

lower grids are hinged to facilitate insertion and removal of the mats.

This general type ofnasal filter is already known in the art, the improvements being herein directed to a structure comprising means whereby the several parts number of sizes, vthen parts of diife selected and combined to provide an almost unlimited varietyof completed devices. tate description may be made up in a limited rent sizes To faciliof the assembled devices, the

separate parts thereof will first be described.

The sheet metal nostril ring blank somewhat serpentine outline as at 2 20 is of a 2, with a lateral projection 23 having two small hinge ears 24 thru which the hinge pin holes 26 extend. A

small sharp projection is raised on the surface at 28 preferably by making an indentation from below at the time the blank is cut. 30 extend thru the blank to admit Rivet holes the rivets of the blank 20 results in the ring made being tilted up at the outer edge as se therefrom en in 12. The blanks 20 are preferably made up in several sizes.

At 32, Fig. 2, is shown a bottom view of the ring for the left nostril as formed from the blank 20. The ring for the right nostril is formed by bending precisely the same blank oppositely. The hinge ears 24 are here shown bent at right angles to the blank. The ring is somewhat kidney shaped being narrower at 38, where it must fit into the front portion of the nostril, than it is at 40. The ends 34 of the blank 28 overlap at 36 whereby a given size ring. may be adjusted to a larger or smaller size. It is important that the overlap at 36 be opposite the point 31! at which the ring is supported on a yoke which connects the two rings.

At 42 of Fig. 3 is shown the blank from which the U shaped yoke is made. This blank is wider at the ends 44 than at the middle portion 46,

the portion 46 being narrowed mainly because it is the only portion that is visible and is therefore made narrower in order to keep it as inconspicuous as possible. A series of saw tooth like indentations 48' extend crosswise of the blank in both of the ends 44. The completed yoke 50, Fig. 4, is made by appropriately bending the blank 42. A portion is broken away at 52 to more clearly show the indentations 48. These indentations cooperate with the raised projection 28, Figs. 1 and 2, together forming detent means for maintaining a selected relation between the ring 32 and the yoke 58 when they are assembled one with the other. The yoke 50 may, like the rings 32, be made in several sizes.

In order to keep the rings 32 and the yoke 50 properly positioned relative to each other, the guide plate 54, Fig. 5, is provided and attached by means of small rivets to the inside of the rings,

rivet holes 56 in the plate and rivetholes 30 in the blank 20, Fig. 1, being provided for this purpose.

Three parallel grooves are formed in one side of plate 54 (see Fig. 7), the middle groove 58 being of a size to slidably receive the wider ends 44 of the blank 42, Fig. 3, and the smaller grooves being for a purpose. to be hereinafter disclosed. A latch lug 62 extends laterally from one edge of the plate.

Fig. 8 shows the blank 84 for the lower or hinged grid one of which closes the lower open side of each 'ring. This blank conforms to the shape of the ring but is somewhat smaller. The center of the grid is cut away as at 68 but there is left a strip 88 extending. Two hinge ears 1!] having hinge pin holes 12 extend oppositely. In the completed grid, Fig. 9, the strip 68 has been bent to form a latch hook 14 while the cars 18 are bent at right angles to the grid.

The upper grid is formed from a blank I6, Fig. 10. This blank is similar to, but smaller than, the blank 64, and instead of hinge means, it has the rigid holding prongs 18 extending from. one edge. These prongs are bent substantially at right angles to the grid as in Fig. 11. The prongs are slightly tapered so as to fit into the grooves 80 of the guide plate 54, Figs. 5 and 7, tightly.

In assembling the various formed parts to compose a complete device a guide plate 54, Fig. 5, may first be riveted to the inside of each nostril ring 32 as in Fig. 18. An upper grid 18 may next be secured in place by pressing the tapered prongs I8 into the tapered grooves 60, Fig. 7, of the guide plate. A lower grid 64 is secured to each rin by inserting a hinge pin 80 (see Fig. 13) thru the holes 12, Fig.9, and the holes 26, Fig. 2,

When this hinge pin is so inserted, the lower grid 64 may be swung on the hinge to open or closed position as shown in Fig. 12. In the closed position the latch hook I4 springs over the latch lug 62 and holds the grid closed. A slight pull 5 with the thumb nail on the outer edge as at 82 of a lower grid will spring the latch open and permit the grid to swing on the hinge.

Each ring is preferably first thus assembled with a guide plate and-a top and bottom grid, after which right and left rings are pressed over the upwardly extending legs 44 of the yoke 58, the legs passing thru the slots 58, Fig. 7, of the guide plates 54. The saw toothed serrations 48 cooperate with the projection 28, Fig. 2, and 15 thereby hold the yoke and the rings in whatever respective relation they are placed.

In fitting a patient with the filter herein shown,

a yoke is first selected which is most nearly the widthof the patients septum. h It is then bent 20 slightly to exactly the desired width. The size of each nostril is then ascertained and the proper ring selected for each side. In many cases one ring will be larger than the other. A ring of a given size may be altered slightly by bending, 25 both in length and width, due to the overlapping ends 34, Fig. 2. After having thus fitted the yoke and the two nostril rings separately, the legs 44 of the yoke may be inserted in the slots 58. The depth of the insertion of the yoke with respect 30 to the rings must be found by trial. Where the lower edge of one nostril is slightly higher than the lower edge of the other, this must be compensated for by a proper difference in the location of the rings on the legs of the yoke.

The ultimate adjustment must be such that when the rings 32 are inserted in the nostrils just far enough to conceal them, the bottom of the yoke must be pressed closely against the bottom edge of the septum. If when all adjustments are made the ends 44 of'the U extend too far upwardly, they may be clipped off.

When it is considered that the filter herein described is intended to be worn at all times during the continuance of the pollen season, both in public and private, the importance of providing a device which may be fitted as above indicated with minimum effort and cost will be apparent, for, if the rings'are slightly too large, they are not only uncomfortable but they give the patient what seems to him a grotesque appearance. On the other hand if the rings are too small they do not properly retain themselves in place. Furthermore if the bottom of the yoke does not lie tightly against the bottom of the septum it becomes very conspicuous and attracts undue attention. However, with a limited number of sizes of yokes and rings an almost infinite number of combinations may be made as above indicated and fitted with slight expenditure of 60 time to insure complete comfort and substantial invisibility.

The mat 84, Fig. 14, is produced by cutting, with sharp dies, from layers of loosely felted lambs wool, shapes conforming to the inside of 5 the several sizes in which the rings 32 are made. The wool is employed in preference to other fibrous materials because it has very little tendency to mat together when it becomes moistened, lends itself readily to medication, and has 7 good mechanical straining properties.

Lamb's wool is now commercially obtainable for nasal filtering, but is provided in the form of slugs intended to be inserted directly in the nostrils. The objection, however, to using lambs 75 wool in this manner is first, that it must be packed relatively close to provide a slug which will hold itself in the nostril, and second, that contact of the wool directly with an already inflamed nostril lining is in itself irritating.

It is therefore important that the wool be very loosely felted to provide free respiration, that the mats be cut with very sharp dies to insure that no fibres extend beyond the edges of the mats, and that the rings for holding the mats hold them completely out of contact with the membrane linings of the nostrils and hold them so that they may not be drawn upward or blown out by the respiratory function.

Having described an embodiment of my 'invention, I claim:

1. A nasal filter comprising a U shaped yoke having one leg extending upwardly into each nostril, a ring composed ofa strip in oval form with free ends inoverlapping contact fitted into the inside of each nostril, the rings being supported upon the legs of said yoke and each being independently movable vertically thereon, and means adapted to hold the rings to their respective-legs in whatever position thereon they may be placed.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the overlaps are substantially opposite the point of support of the ring on the yoke.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which there is a lightly felted mat in each ring, and

means to hold the mats within the rings. 5

4. A nasal filter comprising a U shaped yoke the bottom of which lies against the bottom of the septum, and the legs of which extend one upwardly into each nostril, a ring fitted to the inside of each nostril, guideways in the edges of the rings slidably receiving the legs of the yoke, the rings being thereby independently movable vertically on said legs, and means adapted to retain the rings in any position on said legs to which they may be moved.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 in which there are transverse :serrations in the legs of the yoke and corresponding transverse means in the guideways for engaging said serrations and maintaining the said rings in their respective vertical positions on the said legs.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 in which there is a hinged grid closing on one side of each ring, the hinge being substantially opposite the point of overlap of the said rings.

HARRISON J. WEAVER. 

